At the Ramen Shop
by MyCurrentObsession
Summary: Utau and Kuukai's conversations at the ramen shop, time and time again. Drabble fic. Minor KuTau. 'Nuff said.
1. Think Harder

AN- So, yeah, this idea just kind of snuck up on me and won't let me be. I'm not sure yet how many drabbles there'll be or how long I'll make them (probably around five hundred words each), but, enjoy 'em for the time being. Keep in mind, these will _all _take place at the ramen shop (hence the title), and there will only be _minor _Kuukai/Utau. I hope that doesn't discourage you, though. Enjoy~!

Disclaimer: Keeping it simple and short, I own nothing.

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**Think Harder**

"_I'll definitely make you fall in love with me."_

For those to be the parting words of her beloved brother, and for them to be said to Hinamori Amu instead of herself, Utau wasn't the happiest person.

Not. At. All.

It was at times like these that she chose to go indulge herself on ramen. Upon discovering a familiar head of red hair in the shop, though, she was a bit disgruntled.

"You again?"

At the sound of her voice, the boy looked up from his large bowl of ramen and smiled. "Oh! Hey, Idol-san!"

If she was at all uncomfortable with the name, Utau didn't show it, but instead sat down grumpily beside the boy and ordered her usual.

Souma Kuukai, observant as ever, said, "You look depressed."

The blonde snorted and dug into her meal ferociously. "Do I, now?"

Brown eyes bored into her. "What's up?"

Utau glared at him. "It's none of your business."

Five minutes later, nothing had been said, and the boy had almost forgotten the girl was even there, so engrossed in his ramen, he was. That is, until she spoke.

"Ikuto left."

The boy stopped mid bite and gaped at her, a few noodles hanging haphazardly out of his mouth. Utau frowned at the unsightly scene until he finally realized what was wrong and slurped the few strays back into his mouth, swallowing a moment later.

"Um, Idol-san, when you say 'left', what do you mean, exactly?"

"He left the country! He's going to go search for our father in Europe…"

Kuukai stared at the girl. "And… you're depressed about this?"

"Of course I am!" the blonde snapped at him. "You were there that day, were you not? You should know how I feel about him…" Utau trailed off. Talking about her feelings with another boy besides Ikuto seemed a bit… wrong.

The rusty-haired boy stared at her, perplexed. "Yeah, I know. That's why… well, if you really love him, shouldn't you be happy?"

The girl glanced at him, acting nonchalant, but he could see the glimmer of interest in her eyes. "…What are you talking about?"

Kuukai smiled. "Well, you two are finally free from Easter, for one. And now your Onii-san is going off to do something that, I'm guessing, will make him feel better somehow. So, shouldn't you be happy for him?"

Utau stared at him for a few moments, pondering it all over. "I… guess you're right." Then, she smiled. "I never really thought about it that way."

In response, the redhead smiled triumphantly. "Then think harder!"

* * *

AN- And that's it for drabble number one! It shouldn't take _too _long to update (though I do start school soon…), so I hope you continue reading!


	2. Giving Him Away

AN- And, in a flash, I'm back with drabble number two! The one good thing about writing drabbles is that they're so short, it's pretty easy to crank 'em out. *anime-esque sweat drop* So, uh… enjoy~! Oh, and there's quite a bit of implied Ikuto/Amu in this one (and possibly others). Hope you don't mind!

Disclaimer: _Must _I repeat myself?

* * *

**Giving Him Away**

"The only person I care about is Ikuto."

This utterance was said by one Hoshina Utau to a certain redhead boy the following day when they had once again coincidentally found themselves sitting side by side, eating ramen. As she hadn't bothered wearing a disguise, a few of the local guys recognized her within moments and began chatting about her rise, fall, and newly rising back up again in fame. She had officially become the _phoenix _of the entertainment industry.

_Anyway_, hearing those guys chatting about the past had given the boy beside her the -mistaken- idea that the two could reminisce a bit. After -stupidly- remarking how she'd really opened up and became more caring since then, she'd given such a reply.

Kuukai eyed her, doubtful. "Huh. And so, what was up with the day Tadase and I saw you with Hinamori?"

"Amu?" The name slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it, and she quickly averted her gaze, embarrassed.

His smug gaze didn't leave her. "Yeah, what about _Amu_?"

Utau glared at the younger boy. "I-it's just that Ikuto hangs around her a lot, so I figured she'd know where he was. That's all."

"Really? Then why'd you take her to eat ramen? And why were you sitting on the hill with her? Those aren't the kind of things you do with someone of no importance, Idol-san."

The blonde stayed silent, glaring daggers at her feet through narrowed eyes.

Kuukai continued on, purposefully oblivious to her redirected death gaze- he was the new target, of course. "Because, ya know, from where I was standing, it looked like the two of you were having a heart-to-heart. You know, kind of the way _best friends _do?"

Utau's eyes did the impossible and narrowed even farther. "Nonsense! Amu is nothing more than my rival for Ikuto's heart!"

Disregarding her words completely, the rusty-haired boy moved onto a new topic that had been bothering him since, well, yesterday. "Speaking of Hinamori, was she there yesterday? Seeing your onii-san off?"

The blonde looked at the contents of her bowl sadly, while the boy beside her sat and waited patiently for her to respond. A few minutes went by, and he feared his ramen would get cold.

Luckily for him, Utau finally spoke, eyes downcast. "Yeah. He… said he loved her. That he'd make her fall for him, too."

Had Kuukai been eating his aforementioned ramen, he would've choked. As it was, he just gawked at the blonde for a few minutes, wondering what exactly to say in a situation like this. "Um… well, she must really make him happy, then. So…"

The girl sighed. "I know. Be happy for him. For them."

The redhead grinned. "Exactly! And if your onii-san is with Hinamori, then you're not _really_ losing, right?"

Utau smiled softly. "No, I suppose not…" She turned and looked the boy in the eye. "With Amu, it's more like… I'm willingly giving Ikuto away."

_Even though you technically never had him in the first place… _Kuukai was smart enough to know not to say that- she'd glared at him so long yesterday for his offhand remark that he had feared he'd get twin holes in the side of his head. _Instead_, he just smiled back. "Yeah."

* * *

AN- And, another one bites the dust! Constructive criticism helps, people. I also want you to know that I do write these drabbles with some sort of prompt I think of. This one's was 'giving him away', the first one's was 'think harder'. So, yeah, I name the chapter titles after 'em. The next one is… **Stalker**. But don't worry, it's not in the bad, creepy, way, but in a lighthearted joke kind of way. Stay tuned!


	3. Stalker

AN- On to drabble number three! I'm thankful for the reviews (and story alerts/favorites, but mostly the reviews…). Really. It's good reviews that keep me cranking these out, really… *hint, hint* Anyways, I'm sure you're not here to read my rambling (most of you probably aren't even reading this at all…). Enjoy~!

Disclaimer: What do you think, genius?

* * *

**Stalker**

"Are you stalking me or do you just _live _here?"

Having been gone for the past two weeks for a small concert tour, the first thing Utau had done upon arriving was go out to get a good meal- well, okay, it was technically the second thing. _First_, she checked her messages at home to see if Ikuto had called. He hadn't, but she knew better than to get her hopes up in the first place.

Still, upon walking into the ramen shop, it was quite startling to see a familiar face already. Her knee-jerk reaction had been suspicion.

Ignoring her accusation completely (the little brat), Kuukai looked up from his ramen and smiled. "Yo, Idol-san."

Taking a seat beside him, the blonde continued to stare at the boy. "Answer it; it's a legitimate question."

The redhead scratched at his neck, chuckling softly. "Honestly?" As if to vex her further, the boy chose to look at the ceiling, one finger on his lips, faking a thinking pose. "Well… if anything, shouldn't _I _be the one calling _you_ a stalker, Idol-san?"

On the outside, Utau's visage didn't change. On the inside, his remark had sent her reeling. "…What are you talking about?"

Kuukai stifled a chuckle. "I'm just saying, isn't it common sense that the _stalker_ comes to a place not long after the, uh, _stalked_? Coming here to eat is like a daily thing for me. And even though it's been a while, you're always the one coming minutes after I arrive."

The blonde refused to look or speak to the boy for a few minutes, instead just sullenly ordering a large bowl of her usual tonkotsu* ramen.

The younger boy watched her swirl the noodles with her chopsticks a few times before attempting to clear the tension. "So… where ya been?"

Utau ignored him, taking a small bite of her meal. After a few more minutes had passed, she finally looked over at him, eyes hard. "I'm not a stalker."

The redhead gawked at her for a moment before he burst out laughing. The blonde beside him was, of course, highly insulted.

"What's so funny?!"

Kuukai took a few seconds to settle down into a light chuckle, and then locked gazes with her, amusement written all over his face. "I get it now."

"…Get what?"

The rusty-haired boy's grin widened. "Your attitude before. I was worried that you were mad, but-"

"I _was _mad!" Utau interrupted.

The boy just kept grinning and shook his head. "No, you weren't. You were _sulking_."

"I was _not_!" the blonde all but exploded.

Much to her chagrin, Kuukai _wouldn't stop smiling_. Holding back laughter, he spoke, "So, is it okay for me to call you _Stalker-san_?"

"Shut _up_!"

* * *

*tonkotsu ramen- it's the ramen she ate in the manga, said to be a 'manly meal'

AN- Another one done! I look forward to your reviews! (On another note, it's absurdly fun to write a situation that involves Utau throwing a tantrum) The next drabble's topic is: **Shoulder Angels**. Yeah, take a guess at what _that's _about. Should be fun to write, though!


	4. Shoulder Angels

AN- Drabble no. four has arrived! As always, thanks for the reviews! Enjoy~!

Disclaimer: The answer's no.

Also- What would you prefer for Iru and Eru (Il and El) to be called? I saw the anime first, so I prefer the latter set, but I begrudgingly used the manga names for this chapter. Tell me which you'd prefer and I'll stick to the set of names with more votes.

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**Shoulder Angels**

"So, what are Iru and Eru supposed to be, exactly?"

It was two days after the 'stalker' incident, and, as per usual, Utau had gone for some ramen. While she'd been a bit disbelieving at first at seeing Kuukai once _again _already there, she had sighed and accepted it before taking a seat beside him. After exchanging their usual pleasant greetings -_"Hey, Idol-san. Fancy seeing you here again, heh." "Did I ask for you to talk to me?" "No, but that's not gonna stop me!"_- the boy had proceeded to ask that rather baffling question.

The blonde stared. "What do you mean? They're my Guardian Characters."

"I know that! What I meant was…" The boy scratched the back of his head. "…How to put this…? Well, you know that Guardian Characters are supposed to be your would-be-self, right?"

Utau rolled her eyes. "Of course. _Everyone _knows that."

The redhead nodded. "Okay, then. What gets me it that Iru and Eru have literally taken the form of a devil and angel, respectively. I mean-"

The older girl huffed. "You want me to tell you about my Guardian Characters? It's not really your business, but fine."

Kuukai smiled. _That was easy_. Clearly, he'd interested her with his questions earlier, otherwise she wouldn't be so willing to divulge personal information.

The blonde frowned at his grinning, feeling as if she'd been tricked somehow, but went ahead, "Iru was born from my desire to do _anything_, no matter how bad, to get hold of the Embryo and protect Ikuto. Eru was… born from my inner desires to do the right thing, I guess."

The boy stared at her, perplexed. "Well, Eru makes sense, but I'm not sure about your explanation for Iru."

Utau narrowed her eyes. "And why not?"

"Because, like I already said, Guardian Characters are your would-be-self. They're who you want to be. It's true that you wanted to get the Embryo to help yourself and your onii-san, but somewhere deep down, you must have genuinely wanted to be at least a little bad for a Guardian Character like Iru to appear."

The elder of the two averted her eyes guiltily. "…Whatever. I don't care." She exhaled loudly and turned back to the boy. "Was there a point to what you were asking about earlier?"

Kuukai's eyes widened. "Oh, that! Heh, I almost forgot…" His smile turned sheepish for a moment before returning to it's usual vigor. "What I was trying to say earlier is that your Guardian Characters seem exactly like shoulder angels."

The blonde blinked, clueless. "Shoulder angels?"

The boy blinked back. "What, you don't know 'em? My second oldest onii-san talks about them _all the time_."

Utau shook her head. "I've never even heard of them."

The redhead shrugged. "Eh, whatever. Shoulder angels are basically… a personified version of your conscious. I think." Intrigued, the blonde motioned him to go on. "It's like this: whenever you face a tough decision in life, they supposedly poof into existence, one on each shoulder. But see, one of them is an _angel_ and the other is a _devil_. The angel always tries to get you to do the right thing, while the devil attempts to get you to turn to the dark side." At her shocked expression, Kuukai smirked. "Sound familiar?"

Utau continued to stare at him, eyes occasionally darting to her Guardian Characters conversing with Daichi on the counter. "So Iru and Eru, in addition to being my Guardian Characters, are also my shoulder angels…?"

The boy beside her nodded. "Basically. And… until recently, you've been a very bad girl," he chided playfully.

The blonde reacted just the way he'd thought she would, face flushing with anger and embarrassment. "What?!"

Continuing his charade, Kuukai held up his index finger and spoke, though his face showed that he intended to be serious. "Keep this in mind: you've gotta pay equal attention to Iru and Eru, whether they're Guardian Characters, shoulder angels, or both. Otherwise, the delicate balance you share will get all messed up, or maybe even broken."

"I know." She stared at her ramen for a few moments before looking up at him, begrudgingly respectful.

The boy grew uncomfortable under her gaze. "…What?"

Utau very reluctantly said the following, "You're… smarter than I thought."

* * *

AN- This one turned out longer than I wanted it to be, actually. And for some reason, I'm still not satisfied. Is it just me or does this one pale in comparison to the others (and not just because it's not funny, cause this one wasn't meant to be all that humorous)? And here I'd been so looking forward to it… Anyways, the next one will be called: **No Difference**. Stay tuned~!


	5. No Difference

AN- Thanks as always for the reviews (they encourage me to keep churning these chapters out, ya know), and for ensuring me that the last chapter didn't suck. Really. Enjoy~!

Natsuya801923- I saw that other review and was like, "…Wait, _what?!_" Your 'anonymous' review made much more sense and eased my confused state. I'm fairly certain that I can only delete anonymous reviews, though. I hope you didn't mix up reviews for the other story, too. Anyways, thanks for your review and you can expect to see your (altered) idea in a drabble before too long (I've still got about three or four to go through, and then I'll use your idea, okay?)… I hope you continue reading and reviewing till then! ^_^

Disclaimer: *sigh* Nope, never, not a chance, nada.

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**No Difference**

"What about your Guardian Character?"

It was the following day, and after coincidentally finding themselves seated side-by-side once more (though it was beginning to happen so often that neither could completely write it off as coincidental) in a familiar locale, Utau had for once been the one to break the rather-comfortable silence.

Kuukai looked over at her, bewildered. "Daichi? What about him?"

The blonde made it a point not look at him. "Well, not that I care, but Guardian Characters are your would-be-selves, so, what is he supposed to be, exactly?" Glancing at him and seeing his raised eyebrows, the girl tacked on, "…Though I really _don't _care."

_**Sure **__you don't. _The boy kept his thoughts to himself, not wanting to anger her. "Well… it's kinda difficult to explain. See, as my friend Nagihiko explained it to me, there are two different types of Character Bearers. There are those like Tadase and Hinamori who want to _become _something that they are currently not, and those who feel that they're fine the way they are and just want to improve upon that. I'm second type."

Utau was silent for a moment, letting the information sink in. "So… Guardian Characters from those in the second category of Character Bearers are supposed to be an improved version of their owners?"

"Basically," the boy responded flippantly. Then, he turned to his large bowl of ramen.

While he clearly held no real interest in the topic, the blonde girl persisted anyway. "And, _your _Guardian Character is supposed to be an improved version of yourself?"

In response, Kuukai shrugged lackadaisically, muttered an, "I guess…" and went right back to gorging himself on his ramen.

Utau looked between the younger boy and Daichi, who was also enjoying his own fill of the boy's meal, for a few minutes, wrinkling her nose at their messy eating. She waited not-so-patiently for them to finish the first bowl and order another before the redhead finally turned his attention back to her.

Finally, she said quite seriously, "I see no difference whatsoever."

* * *

AN- LAWLS. I love writing Utau. I really do. This chapter was a bit short (to balance out the length of the previous chapter, I guess), but I actually really like it. The ending makes me giggle. I hope y'all liked it as much as I did! The next drabble will be: **Age**.


	6. Luck

AN- I am _so sorry_ for the long wait! I've been working on other fics… (excuses, excuses…) Plus, I just _could not _figure out to do with what I originally had planned for this chapter. So, I lied, this chapter will not be** Age**_**,** _it'll be… something else. Just find out yourself, kay?

Disclaimer: I own nothing, though I _wish _I owned Kuukai, seriously. I love him so much.

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**Luck**

"Well, Idol-san, I'm off!"

This exuberant farewell was said by none other than Souma Kuukai, and the girl he'd directed the sentence at looked up from her second bowl of ramen curiously. As per usual, Utau had arrived not too long ago to see a familiar face, but she had sighed and accepted it, taking a seat beside him quietly.

As much as she hated to admit it, she was beginning to get used to his company.

The two hadn't really said much, besides a little of their usual banter, but the redhead had finished his bowl off faster than ever, and was leaving at least fifteen minutes earlier than he usually did.

Trying to seem casual, the blonde stared at her bowl, picking through it with her chopsticks. "…So soon?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah. I've gotta go shopping for all my onii-sans, and that takes a while." He sighed. "Man, I always lose at janken…They're just too good, I guess."

Utau couldn't help but stare at the boy oddly. He was speaking as if such a game required skill, when really it was pure luck. Still, she hadn't known he had brothers… Not that she cared. The very epitome of uncaring, she turned back to her food and gave him a lazy one-handed wave. "Whatever."

Kuukai marveled at her ability to play it cool. Still, these meetings had been going on for some time now, and he couldn't help but wonder where exactly they stood.

He decided to test the waters with this: "…I'll see you tomorrow."

The effect was instantaneous. The moment the comment slipped from the boy's lips, Utau's eyes had gone wide, and her fingers fumbled clumsily to keep a hold of her chopsticks. She resisted the urge to choke, and instead took her time finishing off a single bite before turning to eye the boy critically.

"What makes you think I'll be here tomorrow?"

He shrugged in that oh-so-annoying manner of his. "It's just an assumption."

Her gaze turned icy. "Didn't anyone ever tell you never to _assume _anything?"

The younger of the two sighed at her dramatics. "It's just a harmless little _statement_. Do you want me to rephrase it?"

Before the blonde could reply that no, she'd rather he not say anything at all, he had leaned onto the counter beside her, locking their gazes in an unnerving manner.

He smiled warmly. "Will I see you here tomorrow, Idol-san?"

"I… I…" He was too close. _Much _too close. Utau looked away swiftly and cleared her throat, hoping he hadn't seen the momentary redness of her cheeks. "…If you're lucky." Seeing the grin on his face, her face flushed even redder, and she hurriedly continued, "…which, judging by your success at janken, you're not!"

All her theatrics were doing was making him smile brighter. She was cute when she blushed. Deciding he didn't have much to lose anyway, Kuukai winked at her.

"In this case, I'm thinking I might just get lucky."

* * *

*janken- it's basically rock-paper-scissors

*When Utau tells Kuukai about never "assuming" anything, it's a reference to the well-known saying, "When you assume, you make an _ass _out of _u _and _me_." Get it?

AN- This drabble had more romance than most. It's to make up for my total lack of updating, so don't always expect this much, okay? And lawls, the end line can totally be taken the wrong way… (though that's not what he meant, can you imagine how Utau would take that? She'd beat the heck out of him…) Anyways. The next drabble will be: **Alone**. And this time, I promise that's what it'll be. No changing it. Bye bye~!


	7. Alone

AN- And after a short break, I'm back! Sorry for the slight delay, folks. I've been working on another Shugo Chara fic that's not out yet called _Ink Stains _(this name is prone to change). It's AU, and focusing on Miki (my fave of Amu's SCs). It'll be quite different from the style in this fic, but if you like Yoru/Miki or Kiseki/Miki, then check it out when it's posted, okay? Now on topic: this drabble is actually quite different from what I intended, cause I realized I couldn't bring myself to write what I originally had planned. Anyway, I like the end result, so it doesn't matter. Enjoy~!

Disclaimer: If I owned SC, I'd have enough money to buy Kingdom Hearts 385/2 Days. But I _don't, _so clearly I don't own anything… *grumble, grumble*

Warning: _slight _angst in the beginning; don't worry, by the end there'll be the humor and banter you're used to!

* * *

**Alone**

"He's late…" Utau glanced at the clock while saying this. The boy who had asked her to be her today was not here, despite the fact that she'd been waiting for a good forty-five minutes. Normally, when people made her wait (or worse, stood her up altogether), the blonde got angry and impatient. _Really _angry and impatient.

The absence of her… (friend? No, that made them sound closer than she was comfortable with. Acquaintance? If that were truly all he were, his being gone wouldn't even bother her) _companion_ made her feel nothing but dejected.

Utau spent about fifteen more minutes picking through her ramen, not really feeling up to eating it. Her mood continually worsened. Finally, feigning anger, she slammed her hands on the counter before paying her meager bill and stalking out the door, Iru and Eru following worriedly.

Once outside, she stopped and sighed. It was odd, but standing under the clear blue sky, she recalled something they had once talked about. Kuukai had mentioned something Amu had said when he had graduated middle school. What was it, again? Something about being connected?

"_We're all connected under the same sky."_

It was something the blonde's mother had once said. It was because they were connected, the woman had said, that she believed that her husband was still out there, and would one day come back to them.

Utau sighed and looked to the sky. "Where are you?" Without someone to talk to, eating there seemed a little… _lonely_.

"Idol-san!"

It was him. Kuukai had _finally _shown up, late and panting. He had been running, it seemed. Beside him, Daichi was equally tired.

The blonde didn't say a word, but instead stood in front of him with her arms crossed, waiting for an explanation. She would never admit it, but inwardly, she was relieved. She'd had to stop herself from smiling upon his arrival.

Iru and Eru could tell of her mood swing, of course, and both grinned in her stead.

Once he'd caught his breath, the boy before her stood up and gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry I'm late! There was, uh, Guardian business. I mean, I may have graduated out of the Guardians, but I still like to help out whenever I can, so…"

Utau raised an eyebrow. "A couple of X Eggs took you an hour to take care of?"

The boy had the grace to look pretty embarrassed about it, but shrugged as if to say, _Hey, they're tougher than they look!_

She was unimpressed. "I overestimated you."

He rolled his eyes. "Ah, whatever! The only reason it took so long is because Hinamori had to take care of a couple different groups of X Eggs at once, and we could never get them all corralled together. Not _everybody _can purify them, you know…" He shot the blonde a pointed look, which she ignored. Then he brightened. "But hey, it looks like I was still lucky enough to catch you so we could eat together!"

Utau shot him a smug grin. "Nope. Your luck ran out. I've already eaten and am on my way back."

The boy's jaw dropped. "Seriously?!"

She nodded and began walking away, giving him a one-handed wave. "Yep. Ja ne."

Kuukai sighed, but resolved not to give up. "Maybe next time?" he shouted after her.

This time, she was prepared. She stopped long enough to turn and shoot him a confident smile. "Only in your dreams, Souma."

* * *

*Ja ne- it's a casual way to say "see you later" in Japanese

AN- The end line makes me giggle. I figured, what with Kuukai always flustering her, it was about time she got some form of payback in. Next one is: **Time**_**. **_Stay tuned~!


	8. Time

AN- After a not-so-short break, I'm back again! I apologize for taking so long, but a few new reviewers asked kindly for me to update, so, for them and my old reviewers as well (don't think I forgot about ya!), I came through. Hope it doesn't disappoint!

Disclaimer: If I owned SC, Nagi would admit that he's gaga for… Amu. Yes.

* * *

**Time**

"Wha---huh?"

This sound of confusion came from one Souma Kuukai, whom, upon strolling into his favorite ramen shop, was startled to see that there was already a head of blonde pigtails sitting there waiting.

Utau rose an eyebrow. "How eloquent."

The boy smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, Idol-san. Am I…" he paused and searched the clock hanging above the counter before continuing, "…late?"

The blonde tsked. "One look at the clock tells you you're not."

"So…" he mumbled, sitting down beside her, "…you're early."

In between bites, she responded, "Bingo. Give the boy a prize."

Ignoring her (scathing or playful? Please be the latter) sarcasm, he asked, "Why?"

She smiled smugly. "I might tell you later, if you ask nicely."

Kuukai rolled his eyes. "Don't be difficult, Idol-san."

Utau gave him a glare, but it didn't have any true fire behind it. Scarily enough, she was coming to like their banter. "I'm not being difficult, Souma. You're just being stubborn. I already said I _might _tell you why I'm early if you just ask politely."

He refrained from sticking his tongue out at her. "That's the best comeback you can manage? Insult me and repeat what you've already said? That's _weak, _Idol-san…" he teased.

She blushed at his joke and decided it was just easier to give him what he wanted. Her pride would have to recover later. "…I've got a concert that I have to leave for in two hours. In order to get all my packing done, I had to come here earlier than usual."

Since she had given up their little battle without a true fight, the boy let her keep some dignity by not calling her on it. Instead, he just nodded. "Ahh… When will you be back, then?"

Those words presented another opportunity to get back at him, and she smirked. "…I might tell you later."

Kuukai's jaw dropped. "Aw, come on! This is getting old, Idol-san! Just spill, already! Will you tell me when you're coming back, or not?!"

Utau felt as if she were on top of the world just then. "Ask nicely."

He did ask nicely. "…Hoshina Utau-san, will you _please _tell me when you will be returning?" …And he grit his teeth all the way through.

The blonde met the boy's---feigned---pleading gaze head-on. She contemplated just telling him what he wanted to hear, but decided that it would be too easy. Instead, she thought of something much more fun to say, and inwardly cackled. Apparently, he'd been right all along about Iru representing her wanting to be bad.

She bit back a laugh. "Sure, I'll tell you. All in good time…"

* * *

AN- And Kuukai exploded. The end. *snickers* Next up is… **Age**. (dun, dun, DUN!) If my loyal reviewers would remember, this is the same drabble that got me last time, causing me to do something else instead. Hopefully that won't happen this time. Till next time~!

*all in good time- basically, it's used when people are saying 'something will happen all in good time'. It means, that something will happen at a specific time, meaning Utau is teasing him at the end, because the phrase could mean anything from later to never.


	9. Age

AN- I took forever, I know. BUT! I have a GOOD REASON (for once)! My computer came down with the virus from hell. Seriously. It's been unusable for like a month or so. So, hopefully you'll forgive me for my lapse and not be too terribly angry. And, uh, just so ya know, maybe it's just my own personal thoughts, but I'm not quite happy with the way this chapter turned out. So… yeah. Anyway, enjoy~!

Disclaimer: You really think if I owned Shugo Chara I'd be sitting at home _writing_?

* * *

**Age**

"Hey, Idol-san, you're fifteen, right?"

The question threw Utau off for a moment, but she didn't let it show. Up to that point the pair had been eating in companionable silence, an unspoken agreement to not mention the almost-sort-of date that the boy had been late to reached.

She glanced over at the boy. "…Yes. Why does it matter?"

Kuukai shrugged. "No reason, really. Just curious, I guess. Me, I'm thirteen."

For some reason, this news disgruntled the blonde. Of course, she'd known all along that he couldn't have been much older than Amu and her friends, meaning there would be at least a little bit of an age difference, but still…

Wait a minute. Why did it _matter_? It was only two measly little years (not that it mattered; she wasn't thinking of him in a way that made age matter, no siree). Ikuto was trying to make a girl _five years _his junior his girlfriend. If her brother didn't have a problem with it, why did she get bent of out shape out of _two years_?!

…Not that she was thinking of Kuukai like that. Nope, definitely not.

Putting on her usual air of indifference, she monotoned, "Really."

The boy rolled his eyes, picking up on her hidden distress, but not knowing why. "My birthday's in about a month, though."

Okay, so it wasn't even two years, really. It was only one year. And nine months. But _months _were inconsequential. _Years _were what were worth taking into account.

…Not that the blonde cared even a _smidge _for him in such a way that age mattered. The only boy in her heart was Ikuto, and he actually was two years older than her. So wait. Why was it she had no problem with her and Ikuto's age difference, but between her and Kuukai it was a big deal?!

The aforementioned boy was, contrary to popular belief, perceptive enough to realize that she was just barely resisting to bang her head against the counter in frustration. "…Two years isn't that big of a deal, you know."

Utau's head snapped towards him. "What makes you think I care that there's a _one year and nine months _age difference between us?"

Kuukai raised a brow. "Maybe the fact that you calculated just how much of an age difference there is instead of just leaving it at a rough estimate?"

The blonde tried and failed to hide a blush, and didn't respond---but only because she was suddenly incapable of forming a coherent comeback.

Hmm. For some reason, his words had made her uneasiness worse, instead of helping like he'd intended. Maybe a different tactic… "I mean, just think about Hinamori and your onii-san. They've got _five years _between 'em, but they don't care!"

There was no way he'd known she'd been comparing them to the aforementioned couple. It was impossible. He must have been thinking along the same lines as her, is all.

Utau flushed even more and snapped, "What makes you think our relationship is comparable to theirs?! The two cases are _nothing _alike!"

Kuukai resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Idol-san, I wasn't implying anything like that---" even though he totally _was_, "---I was just saying that you're too bent out of shape over a small age difference."

He was right, of course. The more the blonde thought about it, the stupider she felt. She really had no reason to freak out like that. It was obviously… an excuse. An excuse not to like him. She couldn't like him if she felt uncomfortable with their age difference, after all.

…But she _didn't _like him, right? Right. Of course. No excuses were needed, because there were no hidden feelings behind them.

Their age difference really didn't matter, she decided. After all, she didn't think of him that way. Nope, never. Silly girl.

"…You're right," she muttered reluctantly.

He smiled. "Of course. I'm _always _right."

"…Whatever."

* * *

AN- So, yeah, after a long wait, it kinda sucked, I know but… it was the best I could do. I guess you could say I'm out of practice when it comes to writing, or something. Anyway, constructive criticism is always good. Next up is: **Denial**


	10. Denial

AN- OMG, SC Encore~!!! It was amazing and I loved it to itty bitty pieces… but it screwed what little canon this fic had left. For one, I must have calculated the age difference wrong, since it's three instead of two years (I find it amusing that Utau is, in her own way, freaking out about it in the manga even, by calling him a kid all the time), and for another, well… the pairing's CANON now, while in my fic here, it's obvious, but still not quite there. SO, for the sake of this fic, can the readers please not put it in the same timeline, or something? Like, put it after Ikuto left, but BEFORE the super-amazing-awesome Encore (even though there's no way that much time passed between these events…)? Okay? Enjoy~!

Disclaimer: I _wish _I owned SC and Encore. So badly.

* * *

**Denial**

"Look, Idol-san, I'm gonna be completely honest here: I kinda like you."

It took the girl in question about five seconds to comprehend Kuukai's meaning, upon which she choked and spluttered for at _least_ a full minute. Afterwards, she turned to him---her face was red for a multitude of reasons: she was blushing terribly, had just had a choking fit, and was angry at the boy beside her---and said with forced calmness, "Oh really? And what am I supposed to do with this information?"

Kuukai rolled his eyes and gave the blonde a rather pointed look. "Oh, I don't know, why don't you _act _on it? I mean, maybe it's just guesswork, but I'm _thinking _that you like me, too."

More outraged---and _embarrassed_---splutters from Utau. "I do _not_!"

"Yeah, because you're in _denial_."

By now the poor blonde's face had turned a rather deep shade of maroon. "I am _not _in _denial_!"

"That's just what a person in denial would say."

Utau huffed and resisted the powerful urge to hit something---preferably the boy beside her. "That's just what _anyone_ would say, you _baka_!"

Kuukai smiled. "Maybe, but we're getting off subject, here."

The blonde glared. "I'm _not _in denial."

"_Sure _you're not."

That said, the boy began picking at his now-cold ramen, giving the ruffled girl time to think.

_I'm __**not**__ in denial… am I? _The companionable silences, the teasing… Kuukai could, on occasion, amuse her, if not outright make her laugh…

The nickname she loathed and yet got a rush hearing… _Is it because __**he's **__saying it?_

…_No, that's just stupid._

The sometimes-deep conversations that amazed her of his intellect every time…

And, most importantly (_and __**incriminatingly!**_), she had rearranged her schedule to make sure she could go to the basically-date that Kuukai had asked of her.

Slammed in the face with all these undeniable truths, Utau had to accept that maybe, just _maybe_, he was right.

She nudged him with her elbow. "Hey. Souma."

He glanced up from his new steaming-hot bowl of ramen---_when did he order that?_---and smiled. "Oh, finally done thinking? Jeez, took you a while…"

Utau blushed and checked the time before scowling. "It only took like five minutes!"

He rolled his eyes again and gave her a sideways smile. "Well it _felt_ like forever. But hey, did you find the epiphany you were searching for?"

The blonde sighed. "…I think I am---" _I'm not __**anymore,**_"---_was _in denial."

Kuukai stared at her, slack-jawed. "…Really?"

She ignored the blush creeping up her cheeks and crossed her arms. "Yes. You got a problem with that?"

"No, I just…"

He shook his head in awe and stared at her for a few seconds before his face split into a wide, _teasing_ grin. "I think I'm in denial about you not being in denial anymore." His words caused Utau to blush harder.

"_BAKA!_"

* * *

*baka- Japanese for "stupid/idiot/moron/ect."

AN- So? Whatdya think? I felt it was about time for them to admit they liked each other, ya know? So, I feel this drabble series is drawing to a close. I'm thinking… two more drabbles to end it (I was originally planning either ten or fifteen, but this one makes ten, and I don't have enough to get me to fifteen, especially considering now they've "confessed"…). Hope you all stay with me! Next up is: **First Name**


	11. First Name

AN- And I'm back (surprisingly quickly)! Still coming down off the amazing SC Encore induced high, too (it's probably the reason that I'm updating so quickly). Anyways, we finally get a drabble in which Utau (sort of) wins. Enjoy~!

Disclaimer: I'll be boring and say I own nothing.

Edit: **Why this drabble is important:** Now, I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the way the Japanese culture works, but that's why I'm making this section here. Over there, it's formal and polite (generally) to refer to others by last name. And generally, unless you're SUPER CLOSE, you at least use a -kun or -san or -chan when addressing someone by first name. So, for these two to talk to each other so casually indicates a BIG leap in their relationship, see? ^_^

* * *

**First Name**

"So, Idol-san, you've got another concert coming up soon, right?"

The blonde in question looked over at the boy beside her. The previous day, she'd pretty much just left after declaring that she wasn't in denial anymore. She was thankful that Kuukai wasn't calling her out for it. But still, if they both liked each other, why was he keeping on with that stupid nickname? She really wouldn't mind if he addressed her by name…

She shook the thought away and nodded. "Yeah. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow."

He smiled. "You've been getting pretty popular on the charts again. I'm sure lots of fans will show up, Idol-san."

Her eyes narrowed. "Utau."

The boy paused mid-bite to give her a confused look. "Huh?"

The words had slipped through her mouth unbidden, but she followed up with, "Call me Utau…" she trailed off, blushing slightly, before continuing, "…okay, _Kuukai_?"

He was so shocked, the chopsticks slipped through his fingers---luckily, they fell into the bowl instead of clattering onto the counter or floor. If the blonde looked hard enough, she could swear he was turning red. "W-what?"

Utau blushed harder, and snapped, "You heard me. I'm not saying it again!" _It was embarrassing enough to come out and say it the first time…_

Now she _knew _he was blushing, and her expression must have given something away, because he pivoted on his seat to face away from her, muttering, "I-it's just I don't usually address girls so informally. With guys, it's different. The only girl I ever call by her first name is Yaya, and that's because she's like the little sister I never wanted…" Here he paused to put a hand to his chin and think. "…Well, I suppose I also called Nadeshiko by her name, but, uh, _that person _doesn't really count…"

_???_

Utau filed this strange tidbit away for further questioning at another time before addressing him, "It's no big deal, really. I _want _you to call me by name. You should feel _honored_. I don't allow just anyone to address me so informally."

He turned back around slowly, but kept his eyes trained on his ramen bowl. "…What's wrong with calling you 'Idol-san'? I mean, can't it be, like, an endearing nickname?"

The blonde scowled. "You've been using it since the first time we had ramen together, which is back before you found me _endearing_ in the first place… Kuukai." His name was rather sloppily tacked on at the end, and it was obvious that both parties felt slightly uncomfortable at its use, but Utau was determined to get on a first name basis with the boy.

So she shoved him gently. "Come on, it's not like it's hard! Just _try _to call me by name."

He sighed and locked gazes with her, putting on a serious face. "U…tau."

She resisted the urge to smack him. "What was _that_? My name is not Ooooootau, it's _Utau_! Two syllables, only takes about a second to say. Try again."

Kuukai scowled, but the redness on his face was clearly _not_ from anger. He opened his mouth and said (read: whispered), "…tau."

The blonde glared. "I can't hear you."

He glared back, but finally managed to come out with, "Dang it, Utau! This is too hard!"

Finally the girl smiled, as he blinked in confusion, as if unbelieving of the words that had escaped his mouth. "See, Kuukai? It's not that bad, now is it?"

A faint, almost indiscernible blush rose across his cheeks. "…I guess not… Utau." He repeated her name a few times to himself quietly, getting used to the sound of it rolling across his lips, liking it a little more each time. Finally, he nodded. "I could get used to this!"

The blonde smiled. "I told you it wouldn't be so hard, Sou---" _no_, "---Kuukai."

The boy ignored the comment in favor of turning to his previously forgotten ramen, fishing his chopsticks out carelessly. Taking a bite, he frowned.

Noticing, she rolled her eyes. "What now?"

"Utau…" Kuukai started very seriously, "…you made my ramen get cold."

* * *

AN- Lawls (lol) at the last line. This drabble, in my opinion, is kind of… _awkward_. It just seems kinda _funny_, you know? Either way, hopefully it's not _too _bad. Only one more drabble to go, folks! And it is: **One Last Challenge**


	12. One Last Challenge

AN- I am SO SORRY for taking so long! Really! I'm absolutely horrible, and as such I'm sure you're all glad to know that after this drabble there'll be no more waiting around for weeks (even _months_) for something that's only like 1000 words long. Anyways, hopefully you enjoy my final drabble~!

Disclaimer: I own the first 8 SC books. As in, I bought them. At Barnes & Noble. But that's as close to ownership of this series as I can get.

* * *

**One Last Challenge (and Your Reward is a Kiss)**

"So, Utau, how long are you going to be gone for your concert this time?"

It was, of course, the next day, and, like always, Utau and Kuukai sat side by side in their (inwardly, the blonde felt just slightly giddy thinking of it as _their_; outwardly, her face remained unchanged) ramen shop of choice.

She set her bowl down. "About two months. It's an actual tour this time."

The rusty haired boy choked and spluttered in protest for a good couple of minutes---he had literally choked at the news, and had to thump hard on his chest a couple times to swallow. "What?! That long? But---!"

"There's nothing to be done about it. This is the first tour I've been offered since I left Easter, so of course I have to take it."

Her clipped, no-nonsense tone deflated the his outcries quite swiftly. A few tense moments passed in which she ate her ramen quickly and silently (inwardly, she was beating herself over the head for being so harsh to him, not that she'd show it), him frowning into his own bowl sullenly.

Utau couldn't exactly blame him for his bad mood, though. As much as she still hated to say it, she had gotten so accustomed to this ritual of eating together that she knew she'd feel terribly lonely those two months on the road.

_I wonder… if that's how Amu feels without Ikuto, or vice versa. _Her eyes widen. _Ikuto!_ When had her feelings begun to change? How had the strong love she'd felt for her brother manage to disappear so completely without her notice?

…She strongly suspected the boy beside her staring holes into his food and the way her heart sped up just looking at him had something to do with the phenomenon.

But just when the blonde was about to throw away yet another fragment of her pride for him and apologize---leaving out that she wasn't looking forward to the prospect, either, of course---Kuukai brightened up very suddenly. "That's it!"

His mood whiplash startled her so much, she literally had to grab the counter to keep from toppling off the stool. Before she could question his antics---or possibly yell at him for scaring her---though, he continued on, oblivious to her own souring mood.

"Hey, Utau! You said you leave tomorrow, right?!"

She glared. "What of it?"

He was completely unfazed. Curse him. "We should have one last ramen-eating contest!" Curse him to… say what?

After the initial confusion wore off, Utau gave him a look that surely perfectly conveyed an unspoken, "Not interested." But Kuukai just kept on grinning, sure of his own success and filled to the brim with energy and confidence.

The blonde's competitive streak ran deep, so, against her will, she found herself agreeing. "The stakes?"

His smile grew wider, longer, and she found herself thinking she was Alice, walking right into the Cheshire Cat's tricks. "The winner gets a kiss from the loser."

Between her competitive side and her girly side, girly won out. In _spades_. Utau blushed down to her roots, and couldn't even manage an about-face to hide it. "W-what?!"

The boy leaned back on his haunches, a predator waiting for the perfect moment to pounce on his flustered prey. "You heard me."

The blonde tried desperately to regain control of the situation. "L-let me guess---you spent all night thinking of how to freak me out most, and that's what you came up with?!"

He actually paused for a moment, but then he came back in full force. "Actually, no! I thought of it just now! And while getting you upset wasn't part of the plan, I agree it should've been---you're cute when you're angry!" To accompany this statement, he winked.

The heat spread across her face like fire. Given this information, it was clear that he just wanted some sort of special goodbye before she left for the longest two months of both their lives. If she was honest with herself, she… kind of wanted it, too. The perfect ending, so to speak.

She regained her composure a fraction and ordered new bowls for the both of them. "You're on, Kuukai. But let me tell you---I expect to win."

His smile was so wide and genuine and happy, her heart felt like it would thump right out of her chest. "So do I!"

And really---they both won, in the end.

* * *

**Special Thanks To:**

**AlleluiaElizabeth**; **Amulet Misty**; and **black neko hime **for reviewing so many of my chapters and just generally inspiring me to continue on. You rock, guys!

AN- So, that's it. The final chapter. I hope you all liked it. Oh, yeah, one little thing: I kind of secretly think of this chapter as being named **Breaking the Trend**, because, well, it does just that. As one last challenge to all of you, can anyone tell me how it differs from the others? It's been a blast writing this, and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! ^_^


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